Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhona Rubio.
Hi Rhona, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
As a junior at ATU studying fine art, I began leaning into a dream to build furniture. I took Agri in High School and learned to weld. I had a dream of building lights + beds. In college, I was working on my first table and was invited to Miami to share my art portfolio. There was a kitchen design showroom being remodeled and my [now] husband was managing the showroom. The rest is history.
We eventually launched The Miami Design Studio with the vision of creating luxury living experiences where ART + LIVING COLLIDE. The response has been beautiful! Within the first year, we hit many of our five-year goals! We’ve felt tremendously blessed to have clients that lean into creativity and embrace something new.
We are focused on creating unique experiences that reflect our client’s needs and values.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, it has been fairly smooth, but that being said, all growth requires stretching, grit, and some pain along the way.
I cannot say we have had any specific struggles, but there have been learning curves. There has been a need to consistently assess and pivot as the firm has grown. I think the pivots are what have kept us aligned and sustaining a healthy growth pattern.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Miami Design Studio?
I mentioned earlier we are focused on creating spaces where ART + LIVING collide. We focus on the overall experience of walking into a space. I naturally lean eclectic and my husband leans more modern so that mix comes into play as we work together.
We believe good design is experienced. We are having a wonderful time bridging the gap between modern luxury and eclectic. Our focus is the experience of walking into a space for the first time and continuing to walk in that experience daily.
Most clients come in with a narrow idea of what they want – something they’ve seen. I love stretching clients comfortably outside of their “comfort zone”. More times than not they want something a little more funky, and bold than what they were originally asking for.
There’s something special about leaning into our emotions as we design and letting them guide us. Clients just don’t realize it until you offer it to them. I think our team is good at cultivating a culture in our client’s homes.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Miami is growing. I like that. I love that there’s a new fresh wave in our community. I love the diversity of cultures. As an artist and a designer, I like the possibilities for growth and creativity in life and design.
What I dislike is the displacement we see taking place in some of our beautiful neighborhoods.
As the cost of living continues to increase and the market for affordable continues to shrink we need to see our city take a firm stand to provide affordable housing in these areas at a similar if not greater rate to the displacement taking place. Our growth needs to happen by design.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheMiamiDesignStudio.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/RhonaRubio.art and www.instagram.com/themiamidesignstudio
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/RhonaRubio.art and www.facebook.com/themiamidesignstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhona-rubio-231a5982
- Other: www.RhonaRubio.miami
Image Credits
Yesi Lavar and Briggitte Pascual
